[Zenbiker]

I must be drinking a different kind of whiskey than the rest of you guys with car tires. Just came back from a 75 mile interstate ride at pretty high speeds to check out the new car tire (235/60/15 HR Michelin) and give it a chance.
The bike wants to "hunt" over crowns in the road and I purposely rode into a long groove that I have taken many times with the Avon. Sent me into a nice (scary) wobble at 85 MPH. Never once happened with the Avon.
NO THANKS! The roads out west and the south are not like NJ and I'm finding this tire to be a bummer. I feel as though I have to actively control the bike on anything but flat straight roads.
Joe

 

[TJzz4]

Me too Joe..... The car tire is gone and I feel like I have my old bike back again....

 

[critter]

Zen and TJ,
I apologize if I sent you guys wrong. I feel the way you discribed when I am driving around a dirt campground (never can tell what you might find back there), but my bike almost drives itself on most roads. I have to watch crowned roads some, but that was similiar with the bike tire. Thnaks for sharing your thoughts and please make mine Jack Black. When we get together sometime, I hope to be able to buy you a sip or your favorite as well.
Regards,
Critter
Seabrook, Texas

 

[Glenn B]

Tom and Joe,
Sorry from here too. I guess different strokes for different folks. Everything has its pros and cons. Hope all else is good.
Glenn

 

[TJzz4]

Glen,
All is good here... Sorry I missed your call but I got your message yesterday... Running a little behind here. I`ll give you a call this week. Hope all is well. Say hi to Patty for us.
By the way... thanks for the kind words in your article. You done good bud!! :biker: Talk to ya soon..

 

[TJzz4]

Thanks Critter...... Always willing to try something new... AND.... My treat!

 

[HAWK88]

Joe and Tom;

My apologies as well. Guess I got Lucky with the choice Busa, Rick, Grumpy, and a few others helped me make for the Dunlap 245/50-15. Reckon I've ridden so many types of scoots before, and relative new to the Boss, I was able to accommodate the really low speed "crowning and edging" issues.

If either of you and I get close, throw a leg over my scoot and try it. I can always use more experienced Boss riders opinions to help improve my ride, or style of riding.

Ride Safe! HAWK88
Jack Phillips

 

[Zenbiker]

No reason for anyone to apologize because I've wanted to try the car tire for years. I did it, am not sorry and am thankful for all of the input here. I just like the Avon much better and will go back...Joe

 

[Busa Dave]

I love the way the Avon handled in the corners but absolutely No Hook-Up from 0-60 in my bike even with the stock 502 the new engine I would not even think about it. The Advan 048 (265 35 18) I am running now seems to track really well in grooved pavement as did the Michelin Pilot Sport in the same size it was just a little too hard of a compound for me. The car tires are a little different in the way they handle and require adjustment in the way you ride that is for sure.

 

[Zenbiker]

Dave...the really interesting thing is that one of the reasons I tried the Michelin car tire was for better hookup but I can spin it MUCH more easily than the Avon! Strange.
This leads me to another point I want to make. At any given tire pressure the size of the contact patch has to be the same although the configuration of the footprint may be different. If the tire, for example, has 40 lbs of pressure and supports 800 lbs. the contact patch HAS to be 20 square inches. A wider tire just means the patch will be wider but shorter than a narrower tire the footprint of which will be longer. The only reason the car tires have a larger contact patch is that they are generally ridden with lower pressures.
After 44 years of riding I have to feel comfortable with the handling and as far as I'm concerned there is no contest here....Joe

 

[HAWK88]

Car Tire

Joe;

That Dunlap P245/50-ZR15, @ 32-35 PSI near kilt me. I had gotten so used to it "hooking" my baby motor that when I put the 230 back on, and it went slam sideways, I wasn't expecting it at all.

I'd like to see someone with a real motor try one for a traction comparison.

Ride Safe!

HAWK88
Jack Phillips

 

[V8GRUMPY]

Joe,

My 265/35 leaves a "footprint" of 9+" of very black, smokey stuff (and that's running 49 to 51# air) 8) ....my 230 and the 280 never left more then 4" wide mark under power, even trying to run 'soft'. Car tires tend not to 'grow' quite as bad under power (especially with low aspect ratios)and therefore their contact patch stays the same. I'm not a tire engineer (or any other kind), but I can tell you that when Wag & I leave marks, it is very easy to determine my "signature" from his :lol:

My Sumitomo is WAY better traction than either the Avon or Metzler. I think this is where talking to guys like Marv makes a difference before purchasing tires. They have tried literally hundreds on actual bikes and have found the limits. On their bikes running the 15" wheels, they pretty much always run Mickey Thompson to get good traction and driveability.
I rode a customers bike @ Marvs running a 15" M/T tire and it hooked up great and very easy to ride.

But like I said at the outset of your thoughts about experimenting, the car tire is not for everyone. It did take me awhile to get used to it and trust it in the turns, and after 4000 miles it still has its' down side, or at least needing to be aware of its handling characteristic in certain situations. I ride a lot of country 2 lane twisties and don't mind it.

If I was going to run my bike purely as a cruiser, I would definitely go back to the Avon, but I tend to spend a lot of time screwing around and like the bike to 'leave' when I want it to. I also didn't like the sideways launch from the round tires, which disappeared with the Sumi.

Like you & Tommy said, it's a good thing to experiment and find out if it's right for your style. You were smart going to the 15" tire to eliminate the need for new wheels, it was a relatively inexpensive experiment and answered your questions.

Tim

 

[Busa Dave]

The best tire bar none in the 15 inch class is the Nitto Drag Radial!!!!! No other tire has even come close and Marv and I have had several conversations commiserating on tires as I have tried ones he has not and he has tried one I have not. The Nitto on my big blok when I was running a 15 because they do not make the tire in a 18 would hook up when warm so well that IT BENT MY FINAL OUTPUT SHAFT in the tranny!!!! Call Jim at Nessco and ask him how many times he has seen that except from Marv and me unless it was caused by a tranny failure. If I had a SB and a 15 wheel I would try it because running less HP, TQ and WT the tire might not go into death wobble as it did on me and Curtis. It hooked up so well that it would just lift the front end and my 235lbs effortlessly after it was slightly warm!!! My old wheel with the Nitto still on it is sitting in TBH---I still look at it and wish I could find something that hooked up close to that thing!

The Nitto is not made in a size that will work on my 18in wheel so I have been trying others-----you made a comment about the Michelin not hooking up. The Michelin that I used is the Pilot Sport, which is a very expensive tire for performance cars. If you are just using the ole mom and pop car tire it will be way too hard for performance of any type.
:biker:

 

[TJzz4]

Joe and I both used the michellin pilot sport...... I could spin it at will any time... And I run a small block 350/385.

 

[V8GRUMPY]

Hi Tommy,

How's that new scoot treating you?? :lol:

I can also spin my Sumi any time I desire, but IF I want to make traction it works well. Without the NOS, I can literally shred the tire by getting into the secondaries early, and it leaves a very nice 9+" stripe down the road.
But if I just 'warm' it a bit with a quick 30' to 40', then get into it and manage the throttle a bit, it will just "haze" until I let off the button...... that's from about 30mph. But it pulls hard enough on the juice that it will make you think about holding onto the bars a bit harder 8)

I doubt that there is a tire out there that will hold this HP to weight ratio unless you really manage the throttle. Unless it is really a street slick of sorts......hopefully will finally be above freezing this weekend so I can enjoy the smell of burning rubber once again :lol:

Tim

 

[TJzz4]

Hi Tim,
I`m lovin the new boss more every day. I have almost 6000 miles on it now and the motor is actually running better than it did new. I actually have some of the other boss owners in California rethinking their idea of boss performance after riding with me... :lol: I am really not complaining about being able to spin the tire. I think it`s a hoot! I can manage to get traction when I want to..... (which is rare) :twisted: At least I can without the juice..... Managed correctly, I can make it hook up above 60 but to hit the button below that just makes lots of wonderful blue smoke.
Hope your weather turns soon..... It`s been nice here for a month now.
Guess I owe you a beer huh?

 

[TJzz4]

By some of the guys I guess I should exclude ADRIAN.... He is the boss guru around here..... Not much that guy don`t know or hasn`t done to one of these things. I am lucky to have him for a nieghbor...

 

[Zenbiker]

Tom...damn..I wish Adrian was my neighbor or Geezer, Neil Weber or Carb Mike for that matter. I just don't get why Adrian would want to live in California where he can ride all year long and not want to move to NJ where he can experience murderous winters, the highest population density in the country, the highest number of vehicles per mile of road and the highest property taxes in the country. Go figure!...Joe

 

[Zenbiker]

Tim and the rest...You guys are out of my league with the way you use you bikes. I am a cruiser with occasional burnouts and 120+ blasts for jollies. The Avon works well for my riding when grooved. I take long trips at high speeds but am not into the burnout mode as much. My small block stroker with Coan converter can lay rubber like crazy but I'm only into this once in a while. I want a tire I can take cross country on any roads and have found the simple stock Avon to be admirable for this application and will go back to it...Joe

 

[awilks]

What kind of tire pressure is used in car tires? I have just installed a Pirelli P600 235/60 15 on my 355/385. I will work on the new wheel bearings, races and seals this weekend and will put it back together maybe Monday.

Looking forward to burnouts and WOW factor.

Alan